Are coyotes eating all our cats and dogs?

My new listing in Tarzana is located south of Ventura Boulevard by one block so most people would assume this is an urban area with commercial properties close by. Well, the proximity to heavy human population does not deter Wiley coyote one bit!  Coyotes in southern California have become very adaptable and are flourishing in many neighborhoods, including this one.

However, humans are to blame for most of the coyote’s brazen behavior. According to some coyote authorities in Los Angeles, humans are creating an all too easy meal for these animals either by leaving out dog or cat food at night, not keeping trash cans tightly closed and worse of all, allowing their small dogs and cats to wander their yards without proper coyote protection.  All those signs you see on posts asking for help finding those little “lost” cats and dogs are probably victims of a hungry coyote that has discovered an easy meal. 

The smart owners of my listing discovered a foolproof way to keep those hungry predators away from their beloved pet – they had a totally enclosed, wire fence installed in their yard with wire apron extensions built underground to prevent the coyotes from digging under. It works!!

Is this something that homeowners in Woodland Hills, Encino and neighboring areas need to worry about? YES!!! Now, more than ever, the local coyote population and range have exploded. So imagine my surprise when I had a conversation with a buyer who expressed shock when I told her why the sellers had this enclosure built. She seemed to envision that it could never happen in her current neighborhood (Woodland Hills) and Tarzana must be a very rural area.  Needless to say, explaining to her that coyotes were now a normal part of “urban” Los Angeles did no good.  In fact, The Los Angeles Times just ran an article two days ago about Jessica Simpson’s dog being snatched from her parents’ backyard in Encino!

Whether that buyer’s next home purchase ends up in Calabasas, Encino, Woodland Hills or maybe even Tarzana, I guarantee that the highly adaptable coyotes will be right there with her!